The List: Ten things Mark McEwan can’t live without
1 | My Grandma Devlin’s egg timer
It’s close to 100 years old and was the only thing of my grandmother’s that I really wanted. One turn makes a perfect soft-boiled egg, just right for eating with toast soldiers.
2 | My Kiton sport coat
There’s nothing like a well-made Italian jacket. But it’s a slippery slope: once you get used to wearing them, you can’t wear anything else. Kiton makes the ultimate version with the best cashmere and beautiful handmade construction. They last forever—this one’s five years old but looks like it’s brand new.
3 | My custom oyster knife
Patrick McMurray, the owner of Starfish on Adelaide and a champion oyster shucker, made it for me six years ago. With it, I can shuck oysters with ferocious speed.
4 | My IWC watch
I don’t collect watches like some guys do, but I always wear one. I feel off-balance when I don’t. My wife, Roxanne, bought me a great one for my birthday last year. It’s manly without being too macho.
5 | My stand-up paddle board
When I’m at my cottage on Georgian Bay, I do two hours on the water first thing in the morning. It’s a killer workout.
6 | My Frank Sinatra photo
Before my dad started working in television production, he was a singer—a crooner, like Sinatra—and he used to work with Sinatra a little bit in the early days. I keep a picture of the two of them to remind me how talented my dad was.
7 | My cologne
Creed Millesime is my favourite for special occasions. It’s got a herbaceous quality that brings out the Scottish in me.
8 | My go-to T-shirts
They’re by Shan. They fit perfectly, don’t wrinkle and look great. The company has a store on Avenue Road, just up from the Park Hyatt. I stock up frequently.
9 | My guerilla garden
I spend hours working in the garden at my cottage, and I’ve foraged more than 800 ferns for it from the forest nearby. I’ve even been yelled at for stealing plants. I was outside a campground at 6 in the morning, the backseat and trunk of my Mercedes filled with ferns. The superintendent saw them and started running toward me. I took off.
10 | My Hemingway Short Story cigars
I love the name. I love the shape. I love the size—it’s a 20-minute cigar, so you don’t get killed smoking some big long thing. They even come in beautiful wooden boxes. It’s the perfect smoke.
“the trunk of my mercedes” wow this guy is actually as douchey as he looks. can he not just say CAR?? im surprised one of his “can’t live without” commodities isn’t his PLASTIC FACE! yeeeeeesh
He’s trying to point out the fact that he puts raw earth in an expensive car, he is down to earth… Obviously his point didn’t come across to you
fair enough so WOW OK HES DOWN TO EARTH. because he shucks oysters and has a “rugged” looking expensive watch…? he’s so down to earth he tried to put a casino at the ex. what a swell, salt-of-the-earth, man of the people. NOT!
He worked harder than you
his arrogance is sickening
So basically you’re saying you can’t live without driving around in your mercedes while smoking expensive cigars and wearing your expensive watch on the way to your cottage on Georgian Bay (which you mention twice) where you will steal plants and do some gardening while wearing your stupidly expensive sportscoat and t-shirts and attract mosquitos with your expensive herbatious cologne. Nice. Me? I can’t live without food, water and air.
I can’t believe that a Toronto food celebrity, with extensive financial means, would be proud to say he’s stolen plants for his second home. To top it all off he’s stolen several from one of our campgrounds- robbing it of some of it’s biodiversity. These campgrounds are there for all to enjoy – especially those who don’t have cottages. Mark McEwan instead should be ashamed and Torontonians should not tolerate this behaviour or attitude It’s time we looked to other cities for their leadership in sustainability and other laudable qualities – cities like Portland for example. I’m once again embarrassed for Toronto.
you are a very pretentious &^%$ with your name dropping and your expensive things…wow….you’ve made it! …..who cares……I’m truly Italian born and bred and live the lifestyle you aspire to live and sell with your mediocre food in your overly priced restos…..I and most Italians cook way better than you on any given day……don’t try too hard Mark…..